Bet365 Enters US Sports Betting Market
One of the top sports betting firms in Europe has announced it will be re-entering the US sports betting market after a more than ten year absense.
Bet365 had allowed sports wagering online from US citizens prior to the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006.
Bet365, which is a privately held company out of Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom, will partner with the Florida's Seminole Indian tribe to offer sports betting at the new Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
New Jersey is one of only two states that have passed laws allowing sports betting after the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of abolishing previous federal prohibition.
Other states are expected to follow suit but not until 2019 when the new legislative sessions begin.
According to a June 25 letter from division Director David Rebuck, made public on Monday, Hard Rock and Bet365 signed a deal on June 19 to offer sports betting. Rebuck approved only part of the agreement - a section called Article 3 - and has yet to act on the full request.
The division has not yet responded to a request made Monday by The Associated Press to make the document public; it typically gives companies 24 hours to ask that portions of their filings be blacked out before being released. The agency then assesses those requests and releases what it determines can be made public under state law.
Hard Rock and Bet365 did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Tuesday.
- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com
